Zoro's Cat
by Ano Crazy Adventurer
Summary: Prequel of an upcoming story. Tashigi listening to Zoro telling off about his past. (sadness, family, friendship and..) To find out more, what happened, read this fic. Anyways, I'm not forcing. Ufufufu... ;D! Review please! (not a pairing but you can see it in that way )


"Please?"

"No, Tashigi."

"But, Smoker-san..."

"No is a no."

"I'll get you more cigarettes..."

"..."

"So, yes?"

"Umm.. Technically, no. But, if you allow me to accompany you, okay."

"Yay!" Tashigi shrieked and hugged the elder.

Smoker blushed slightly and faked a cough. Tashigi, realizing her action quickly released the hug. She scratched her cheek slightly trying to hide her obvious shades of crimson red.

Smoker then shot a sharp deadly glare towards the G-5 squad who were spying on them. "Ooops~!" they shouted 'innocently'.

Tashigi joined Smoker in glaring at them.

* * *

"Na, naa... Sanji! When is the next meal~!?"

"You have already ate your meal less than five minutes ago, you bastard," the cook replied, starting to lose his patience since three minutes before.

"Luffy! Don't disturb Sanji-kun. Here's your pocket money to spend on the island. Someone, accompany our captain!" Nami ordered. Usopp and Chopper quickly ran away while Franky and Brook continued on doing their stuffs. Robin moved her eyes back onto her book.

Nami raised an eyebrow and searched around for someone capable. There, she spotted a green spot on the deck. She smiled evilly and innocently brushed away her bangs.

"I'll decrease the amount of debts you owe me for whoever who is willingly agree to accompany our captain," evil was hinted in her naughty voice.

Before anyone could reach her, not in a second, the aimed person saluted her.

"Here, Zoro. Your debts are now decreased 15% and please, I beg you, **avoid this baka from attracting trouble like marines, **get it?" Nami warned darkly with a dark smile. Zoro blinked at her before nodding.

Luffy grabbed Zoro's right arm and started dragging him along to his another endless adventure.

* * *

Tashigi sighed heavily as she had lost track of Smoker. She glared onto the ground. She pouted innocently. She wanted to go shopping new books **privately** but no... No way she'll have the chance. But she can't ditch that old man. There's always something good after the worse when with Smoker.

The woman sighed yet again.

Silence encountered her before a grunting noise coming to her. She raised an eyebrow as she feels familiar with the grunt.

She turned to look on her left and quickly gripped Shigure as the person forwarding into her way was no other than the green-haired guy.

She widened her eyes and hopes that this time, he won't ditch her like any other times.

Zoro walked while stomping his legs childishly. He pouted while glaring onto the ground.

"That stupid captain. Where did he go," he grunted pouting yet again.

When the two faced each other, each backed a step. Zoro gripped his white sword and desired to protect it no matter what but he becomes not confident when he noticed that similar face over ten years ago.

The two had a stare contest. "Roronoa, fight me," Tashigi plead firmly.

"I..."

Before the two could continue on, a cute sound broke the atmosphere.

Zoro's fearful eyes turned into sad dead eyes. Tashigi, having to notice this, soften her glare.

"What's wrong?" she asked, sheathing her sword.

A cute black kitten walked towards the swordsmen. Tashigi stared at the kitten before giggling girly.

Zoro, too giggled at the cute cat. However their giggles stopped as thy noticed a red liquid flowing down from the kitten's legs.

"Koneko-chan? You okay?" Zoro asked softly which made Tashigi shocked.

Pirate Hunter Zoro, that cruel swordsman from East Blue is pitying a cute wounded kitten? She never thought that this guy has actual care and soft feelings towards nature.

"Nyaa~!" the kitten mewed.

"Where are you injured?" Zoro asked lifting the cat into his safe care.

Tashigi watched blankly before shaking her head.

"Wait, where are you going?"

"Our ship. I'll get our doctor to treat Kuro's wound. Don't worry. We don't eat cute stuffs."

"But, I thought you'd lost your captain? _Or the other way around... _"

"I heard that! Come on, that stupid captain once said to us that maybe a trip to the ship might _soften Tashy and Smoky's hatred towards us~! _Bleh, bleh, bleh."

Tashigi chuckled silently.

"Okay then. But after the kitten is treated, we'll continue back with our business."

"Fine."

XXX

"Say... You're not actually a bad and cruel person as said in the rumors." Tashigi said, breaking the awkward and annoying silence.

"Rumors often sounds better," Zoro replied calmly.

Tashigi blinked at him confusedly.

"You like the rumors?"

"Some of them. Even my title is given by them," Zoro replied, checking on the kitten.

"I thought... That, oh.. I see," Tashigi nodded in understatement. It wasn't that bad after all having a relaxing chat with an enemy.

The two continued on walking until Tashigi stopped.

"Where are we going?"

"To my.. Ship?"

"Admit it. We're lost," she replied firmly. She pouted at a tree. Zoro looked around before sitting near a tree.

"Let's rest. We'll continue our journey after this," Zoro uttered while wrapping the kitten into a banana leaf he found randomly.

Tashigi watched him aiding the kitten with his little knowledge.

Zoro, noticing her staring him, raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

Tashigi replied with a warm smile. "People say that cool and a bit cocky guys loves cute stuffs, I can see that it is actually true."

"Naah... ," Zoro replied with a shy smile.

"Are you blushing?"

"U.. Wha? N. Yea? Well, I'm not cool. I'm... Cute," Zoro uttered with his hand patting the kitten.

Tashigi giggled girly.

"What?"

"I don't think that you're cute," she replied with some giggles escaping her mouth.

Zoro pouted childishly.

"Okay, cute," Tashigi approved while recovering.

"Meww... ," the kitten mewed happily as Zoro pats her gently and warmly.

"You know about cats?"

"Me? Well, I kinda, pet some when I was a kid," Zoro replied. The two of them became friendlier and friendlier as time passes by.

"It was my hobby to keep them as pets. But, after 11 or 12, I ditched that hobby," Zoro explained, with his eyes getting 'cold'. Tashigi blinked innocently. She stared at the guy. She wondered what was the story this 21 years old man had kept.

"May I know... Wha-"

"I was five by then," Zoro cut into Tashigi's dialogue.

Tashigi blinked before taking a seat beside him.

Zoro watched her thoroughly.

Without even realizing it, he smiled warmly as the face in front of him was the face whom had defeated him over two thousand times during his childhood.

Tashigi blushed slightly. "Umm.. Roronoa?"

"Zoro, just, Zoro," he replied, still petting the kitten gently.. Slowly, the kitten dozed off.

The two stared at the cute little creature before chuckling silently.

* * *

~18 years ago~

*sound of crickets*

A short boy wearing dark blue yukata ran pass the jungle. The boy seemed to be bringing a black furoshiki in his hands. He ran with a big grin plastered on his face.

He ran into a house and greeted, "Tadaima!"

"Okaeri."

"Okaeri, Zoro-chan!"

"Na! Okaeri!"

"Zoro!"

After passing his other family members, a muscular man stood in the green-haired boy's pathway.

He gulped nervously before looking up.

"Yes, father?" Zoro asked with a nervous smile. The dark blue-haired man glared at him as if his son had made an unforgivable mistake.

***PAK***

A turquoise-haired woman looked away. The others were biting their lips and looked away in guilty.

Zoro tried his best to avoid the tears forming in his eyes from rolling down his fluffy cheeks. He bit his lips so hard that it almost bleed. Luckily, no one noticed.

"I'm sorry, father."

"Sorry is not enough if you're not obeying my orders."

"..."

"I've told you that you must be at home already before the sun is starting to set. Didn't I?"

"Yes, you did."

"I forgive you for every mistakes you did. But, please.. Zoro. Promise me to not repeat this same mistake ever again."

"I wonde-"

"It's... Better to not know some things."

The man bend to Zoro's height. He stared at his son blankly before smiling warmly. Zoro wiped away all of his tears.

"Sorry that I had to slap you, okie?"

Zoro smiled before nodding full of spirit. The man then moved his eyes to the furoshiki his son has been holding.

"What's in that?" he asked as his hands were about to snatch it away, in a childish way.

Zoro quickly hugs it tightly and rolled to his mother. His mother giggled at their antics.

"Oh, you two. Zuna, stop being half childish and half scary strict adult," she scolded with her point finger pointed out.

Zuna grinned dumbly.

"Noa, Noa, Noa... You can't stand any of my jokes yet, do you?" the man tried to plant a kiss on his wife but the woman quickly dodged and pinched his cheek.

"Aw, awa, aw awww!Seriously! What's in that furoshiki?"

"Yet? Hello~! We have too many children already!"

"If you get what mom meant," whispered the eldest boy to the younger boy.

"Who doesn't. Well, Zoro's an exception," he replied while staring at their youngest sibling in a mocking way. A vein popped on Zoro's head.

"Rorou, Kyoka, either you two stop talking about those stuffs or stay in the pond for the rest of the night," warned a matured feminine voice with her eyes almost being covered by her bangs. She had a long hair that she had to tie it in a high ponytail.

The younger girl giggled mischievously.

"Iuki, Kana, I have a present for you two! Well, Ami helped me in picking them!" shrieked the youngest boy in the family.

The mentioned girls turned towards Zoro. "Really?" "What is it!?"

"What about us... ," uttered the two boys.

"Oh yeah! You two too!" the boy shrieked again.

"What about us? Zoro?" Zuna asked with a pair of hopeful eyes. Noa giggled again.

"Well, of course yes! However, first present goes to! Neko!"

...

Everyone went silence and stared at Zoro hopefully.

"Where's Neko?" he asked, finally. His family then starts to search the white cat everywhere around the house, impatient of the presents Zoro bought for them.

"Nyaa~!"

"Neko!" Zoro screamed as he saw the awaited cat appeared out of nowhere. The boy hugged the pregnant cat showing the love and passion he has for the cat.

"Man. Where did you go, Neko?" Rorou asked with a pout.

The cat sat faithfully in front of Zoro, as if it was smiling.

Zoro took out a ball of black blue thread from the furoshiki and threw acroos the living room making Neko, the white cat chasing after it innocently. Even though with its huge stomach, the cat ran actively.

Everyone snickered at it's cuteness.

"Here's a bottle of sake with a hand warmer for father..."

"Geee... Thanks!"

"A plain red kimono for Iuki and a a plain gray kimono for Kyoka!"

"Aww.. Thanks!" "Really? Thank you~!"

"A set of drawing tools for Rorou..."

"Kyaa!"

Everyone looked at him with a poker face. He then covered his mouth shyly. Then, Zoro continued on.

"A plushie doll of the Meow City for Kana..."

"Kyaa... So cute... Thanks Zoro~!"

"And last is for mother! A straw hat for you to work in the garden~!"

Noa stared at the straw hat sadly. The hat reminded her of her former captain. She then smiled sadly before letting a tear rolling on her cheek and kissed Zoro on the forehead. Zoro starts to panic.

"Why are you crying? Sorry that I didn't give you anything so special... I didn't know what you truly wanted and favor, so I decided to give you this because I saw that you were sweating a lot while working in the garden. I-"

"Zoro... This is the best gift I've ever received in my life. It's even better than that expensive diamond ring your father stole to propose me," she cuts her son's lines and pulls him into a tight hug.

Zuna smiled warmly. "Wait, what?" he asked with a priceless face.

Rorou, Iuki, Kyoka, Iuki, Zoro and Noa snickered at his late reaction.

The cat watched them being happy before continuing to play with her new play toy.

* * *

"Zoro. Sleep well," the mother told before closing the door of his room. Zoro smiled at his mother before dozing off.

As night passes by, a man in white suit grinned wickedly in front of the door of the Roronoa house.

"Until then. See ya!" he uttered before swinging his white cane with a diamond on top of it. He then hit the house with the end of his cane starting a fire on the door. Without him noticing, a white cat was eyeing from the start. The cat later ran to Zuna and Noa's room.

"Nyaa! Nyaa!" Neko mewed trying to wake Zuna up. As Zuna and Noa were both still peacefully sleeping, the cat then popped a vein mark before scratching the man's face.

"Kyaa! I'm up!" Zuna shouted. He then turned to the cat beside him. It took him a few moments before he could catch up what the cat was telling him, using telepathy. Noa also got up and smelt an unpleasant odour from the front of their small wooden house.

"Noa. Wake the kids up. There's a fire-"

"AHHHHHHH!" the two stared each other in shock before rushing to Zoro's room.

The four other siblings had gotten into the room too.

"Zoro? What's up!?" Rorou asked in a really worried tone.

Zoro was curling with his hands holding his head in pain.

"Uwaa!" he cried again. Neko went near the boy. She licked the boy's hand.

Zoro then suddenly fainted. Zuna ordered Rorou to carry Zoro the way out of the house. "How about you guys?"

"This house isn't safe. You're the eldest and you should go and live with Zoro. We have a business with someone so-called old friend," Noa uttered strictly. Rorou frowned before given a tight hug by his younger siblings.

"Take care," Iuki uttered before kissing his cheek.

"Don't let Zoro sad," Kana muttered.

"I'm stronger than you then if I'm the one staying," Kyoka mocked with a smile, though he didn't actually mean it. Rorou smiled reassuringly at them. Zuna nodded to him. With that, the Roronoa family parted paths.

Noa then uses her devil fruit powers to win over the big fire. "**_Yuki nen_**."

Immediately, the house is covered with snow. Or, the place is covered with snow. The house had burnt badly and left only ashes.

The white-suited man then smiled mockingly at them.

Iuki crossed her arms, ready to use her devil fruit powers. Kana readied her black sword while Kyoka went into his fighting stance. Zuna stood straight calmly.

"Naikoubara... I warn you to not ever lay a finger on my son," Zuna hissed with a glare.

"Nehahahaha! You're going to die and you're still spirited in advising me and warning me?" the black-haired man replied in a proud voice.

The others behind Zuna glared at him.

"You're asking for it.**_Kaze Bure-ddo_!**"

"**Yomi no Doa**."

In a few minutes, not a single dead body was found laying on the ground. The man smiled at the diamond on top of his cane.

"You weaklings would never stand a chance against me," he uttered without a smile before smiling again. He then turned to chase after the two survivors of Roronoa family.

* * *

"Nyaa! Nya, nya!" Neko shrieked while trying to keep her pace with Rorou.

Rorou slipped a big scrap of paper into Zoro's yukata's pocket. The man ran around the jungle to at least reach a village.

He gritted his teeth so hard when he sensed an unfamiliar dark aura coming towards him very fast.

He then reached a cliff, the end of the jungle. The cat also stopped following his step.

He then face the enemy.

"Give me your brother, Roronoa Rorou," Naikoubara asked with a polite voice. The called person snorted when his name was said.

"I'd rather throw him off this cliff than letting him growing in your dirty hands," he replied without a hint of worry.

The man then glared deadly at Rorou. He has now lose all of his patience. He was ready to unleash his full attack on this young man until a voice spoke out,

"Why are you picking on kids, Nai-kun?"

Naikoubara then chuckled before continuing his attack on the man.

Rorou threw his younger brother off the cliff with all of his left strength before smiling and dissolving into the diamond.

The owner of the voice jumped down the cliff along with the pregnant white cat. Naikoubara snorted before shrugging.

"When you grow up, it's a lot more fun, Roronoa Zoro."

* * *

*birds chirping*

The boy groaned in pain before sitting straight up and stretch like his usual routine. Then, he realized something.

"Wait. This isn't home?" he then turned around to search for his books, his siblings, his parents. NONE!

None was beside him.

He then noticed a soft sound. He got up to search for it. He then also notices that he was sleeping near the cliif this entire time!

He peeked behind on of the steady trees.

His eyes widen and tears slipped from his eyes.

There, in front of him, laid a white cat and a mewing kitten near the cat.

"N-neko?" he slowly walked towards his cat. He took the cat into his arms and hugged her tightly even though he already knows that the cat was no longer alive. "NEKO!"

He cried so loud. His cries were so sad that even the birds stopped chirping to see that innocent crying boy.

* * *

"Yosh, Koneko! We're gonna find swords! Two swords! One for me and one for you!" the boy exclaimed to the black kitten on top of his green head. When the kitten mewed god-knows-how-adorable-she-sounded, Zoro giggled before running down heading towards a town.

* * *

"Sumimasen! Is there anyone home?" the boy asked politely.

"Yes? Ah?"

"I've come to challenge this dojo. Send one person to have a duel with me. If you lose, then..."

The old-looking man with round glasses smiled at this child.

* * *

"Are you kidding me!? I want the master!?" Zoro shrieked as he saw the person who would duel with him.

"Take as many bamboo swords you want," Koshiro uttered while showing the place where the mentioned bamboo swords are.

The blue-haired girl, the green-haired boy's duel mate widen her eyes a bit, quite shocked after observing that this boy is kinda... Well, he is a child. A child should be childish, or it would be abnormal.

As the fight begins, Zoro had lost _many_ of his swords and left only two, one in each of his hands.

"Nittroyu," the girl muttered before the two clash again, eventually ending the fight.

"Kuina, wins," the master of the dojo announced.

* * *

"I'm now a student in this dojo, Koneko. So, I can't spend too much time for you. But you can come and practice with me~!" Zoro exclaimed to the black kitten. Then, a soft chuckle could be heard around him.

He turned to see the person. "YOU!" He immediately glared at the girl, disposing his earlier smile.

"Talking with a cat? How childish. In that case. You would never stand a chance in defeating me," the girl mocked.

"I really am talking with a cat! Only I can understand it!" the boy replied and stuck his tongue out.

"Nya!"

"Huh? Oh, this? She's the one whom had defeated me. She's Kuina, the daughter of the master of the dojo," Zoro replied as if replying to the kitten. The kitten then nodded, making Kuina gritted her teeth in shock.

"Did that cat just nodded?" she asked, walking closer towards the duo.

Zoro and the kitten nodded in reply.

She then gritted again in shock. However, her shock face turned into a warm smile. Not anyone can resist that cute big green eyes.

"What's it's name?" she asked as she pats the kitten gently.

"Koneko! Her mother was Neko, so I name her Koneko!" the boy replied happily and petted the kitten's back.

"So cute~!" she exclaimed, softly.

"Zoro. Let's have a walk. My father told me to take you out for a walk," she said, still focused on the kitten.

Zoro watched this girl before blinking.

"A date?"

"Um. No. Where did you learn about dates?"

"My brothers and my father," he replied innocently.

Kuina blinked at him blankly before the two walked into the town.

"Hungry?" Kuina asked as she heard the grumbles of a child's stomach.

"Huh?" Yeah.. Sorta," Zoro replied with a blush. "Nya!" the kitten mewed too, wanting to eat too.

Kuina smiled sweetly. "Yosh! Let's go to the bar that cooks the most delicious food in this town!"

"Yosh! We go!"

* * *

As the three ate in the bar peacefully, a brown brunette stood behind the three.

"I'm full!" Zoro burped before long his kitten burping too.

Kuina giggled a bit. "Today, it's my treat! Don't bother to pay, okay?" the young male bartender uttered.

"Hn. Thanks!" Kuina replied cheerfully.

As the three was about to walk out of the bar, the brunette stand in their way.

Zoro, widening his eyes, smiled widely.

"Ami! Is that really you!?" he shrieked.

This Ami girl smiled unpleasantly. However, only Kuina noticed this. Kuina switches on her alerted sense.

Before the three could even blink, the kitten on Zoro's head was snatched by the brunette.

"Let's see, the Roronoa's cat? Eh?" she glinted at the two who were shocked.

"Gimme back my kitten!" Zoro shouted as he sensed the bad feelings he sensed the day he awoke knowing Neko died.

"Sorry Zoro. My master told me to dispose of every Roronoas including this cat," Ami uttered in a mocking voice before taking out a sharp and shining knife and sliced Koneko's head.

Blood splutters everywhere. Kuina lets a tear slip from her eye. But Zoro was crying heavily without himself realizing it.

"See you two in the future," Ami uttered before dropping the cat and the head down onto the ground, disappearing into the wind.

"K-ko-kone-koneko. Koneko, Koneko... Koneko... KONEKO!" Zoro stuttered before crying out loudly, making everyone who wasn't out earlier coming rushing to them. Some of them covered their mouth when they see a kitten's body and a kitten's head.

Kuina shuts her eyes, feeling guilty, for not being able to do a thing. She let the boy cry until his heart's content.

~Back to the present~

Tashigi covered her mouth before bursting into tears.

Zoro yawned as if the story was nothing.

"Why are you?"

"Why should I cry about that anymore? I'm a grown up," he uttered, proudly.

Tashigi smiled at him.

"What about me? You said that I look a lot like your deceased friend and my personalities are quite the same to her. Is that person, Kuina?" Tashigi asked, wiping away her tears.

Zoro stared to the black kitten. The black cat looked so much alike to Koneko. Slowly, he nodded.

"She died after the last time she defeated me. We made a promise that we'll race to get the title of becoming the world's best swordsman, though her father does not support her because of her being a female. Well, that night, the night we dueled, she confesses that she'll never get to be a great swordsman due to her being a girl. Then, I told her that gender is nothing. How dare she says that after beating me over two thousand times! The promise was made after that but the next day, while I was training, I received a news that she died after slipping from the stairs," Zoro explained with his eyes shut. Clearly showing that he has not much care in his pasts.

Tashigi then bits her lips hard before standing up in front of him. Zoro raised an eyebrow.

"Pardon me! If only I knew-"

"You didn't knew so that's it. Come on, let's go and treat Kuro," he cuts into the woman's line and tried to wake up the kitten to warn that they were going to walk again.

However, the more he tries, the kitten didn't even move a spot.

Zoro felt a sudden pain his heart.

"Kuro!?" he shrieked. Without the two realizing, the two were actually near the beach.

Smoker and Luffy who had been chasing until the beach heard Zoro's screams near the jungle.

Tashigi holds her tears.

* * *

_**Things would happen again if we try to forget the past.**_

_-random person_

* * *

**A/N: This is the translation...**

**Nya- cat's sound**

**Futon- Japanese bed**

**Baka- Stupid, idiot, dumnbass.**

**Kuro- Black**

**Furoshiki- Japanese silk used for folding(bagkinda)**

**Yuki nen- Snow Age**

**Yomi no Doa- The door of the death's world**

**Kaze Bure-ddo- Wind Blade**

**Yukata- casual traditional clothing for Japanese**

**Kimono- Tradisional clothing for Japanese**

**Tadaima- I'm home**

**Okaeri-Welcome back**

**REVIEW~!**


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